‘Basag-kotse’ suspects strike Iloilo City anew
Coming from a brief hiatus, “basag-kotse” suspects have started to operate again in Iloilo City just a few days before the Dinagyang Festival.
Last Wednesday in a span of less than an hour, they conducted two operations but they failed to accomplish the last one.
At around 6:45 in the evening, reports said that the suspects broke and robbed a Toyota Vios sedan with plate number ZKZ-930 parked in front of Sportsville at Brgy. Sambag, Jaro district.
The car is owned by Oliver Abella, 30, of Candagit, Sibonga, Cebu, and temporarily residing at NHA Mandurriao.
The suspects took a laptop worth P38,000 and a Sony digital camera valued at P17,000.
At around 7:00in the evening, the suspects’ plan to rob a Nissan Navara pick-up was botched after the caretaker and security guard of Buto’t Balat Restaurant at Mandurriao district discovered their plan to break the vehicle’s windshield.
The three men immediately left the area on board a green Isuzu Trooper with plate number GRH-528.
But in a check made, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Senior Supt. Melvin Mongcal said that there was no match between the vehicle and the plate number.
It was gathered that the plate number was assigned to a delivery van of Star Viewing Network Inc. based in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
“It’s possible that the plate was stolen or it was changed,” Mongcal added.
Same group
Initial investigation had it that the Isuzu Trooper was also seen in the Jaro incident.
“It’s possible that the two incidents are perpetrated by the same group,” Mongcal opined.
Police investigators are also looking at the possibility that the perpetrators belonged to the group of Cezar Parreño alias “Kabayo.”
It was gathered that Parreño’s son, Ian, is based in Silay City, where the plate number of the suspected vehicle originated.
“Apparently, evidences pointed to them” Mongcal added.
Ian has a pending arrest warrant.
Last incident
ICPO records showed that the last Basag-Kotse incident in the metropolis was in November 4, 2009.
Again, the suspect was Parreño.
But members of the Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) VI arrested Parreño at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital in Burgos St., Bacolod City last December 17.
His arrest, though, was not relative to his alleged basag-kotse operations.
Instead, RIU-6 operatives arrested the suspect for the crime of murder under Criminal Case Number 09-67984 issued by Judge Rene S. Hortillo of RTC-6 City dated November 17, 2009.
The suspect was at the hospital to attend to his wife.
It was gathered that the murder charge against Parreño stemmed from the death of killing Romy Divino of Brgy. Jereos, La Paz, Iloilo City last August.
Divino was an alleged former civilian agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) VI.
As to Parreño ‘s basag-kotse involvement, reports said that the suspect was particularly involved in the Basag-Kotse incident at AM Trading at City Proper, Iloilo City last November 4, 2009.
He allegedly preyed on the Nissan Navara pick-up owned by a certain Paquito Palomata of Pototan, Iloilo.
During the said incident, Palomata lost a pouch containing some documents and undisclosed amount of checks, a laptop, and caliber .9mm pistol.
On top of his basag-kotse involvement, Parreño is also a suspect in some theft incidents, particularly pickpocket operations, and violation of PD 1866 as amended by R.A 8294 (Illegal Possession of firearms).
